MANY who are sincerely seeking for holiness of heart and purity of life are perplexed and discouraged. They are constantly looking to themselves, and lamenting their lack of faith; and because of this lack, they feel that they cannot claim the blessing of God. These persons mistake feeling for faith. They look away from the simplicity of true faith, and thus bring great darkness upon their souls. Instead of thinking of self, they should train their minds to dwell upon the mercy and goodness of God. They should recount his promises, believing that he will fulfill his word. When we repent of our past transgressions of his law, and resolve to render obedience in the future, we should believe that God for Christ's sake accepts us, and forgives our sins.

At times a deep
sense of our unworthiness
will send a thrill
of terror through
the soul; but this
is no evidence that
God has changed
toward us, or we
toward him. We may
not feel today the
peace and joy which
we felt yesterday;
but by faith we
should grasp the
hand of Christ,
and trust him as
fully in the darkness
as in the light.
No effort should
be made to rein
the mind up to an
intensity of emotion;
but we should faithfully
perform every duty,
and then calmly
rest in the promises
of God.

Satan may whisper,
"You are too great
a sinner for Christ
to save." But while
you acknowledge
that you are sinful
and unworthy, meet
the tempter with
the cry, "By virtue
of the atonement
I claim Jesus as
my Saviour. I trust
not to my own merits,
but to the precious
blood of Christ,
which cleanses me.
This moment I hang
my helpless soul
on him."

Be not discouraged
because your heart
seems hard. Every
obstacle, every
internal foe, only
increases your need
of Christ. He came
to take away the
heart of stone,
and give you a heart
of flesh. Look to
him for grace to
overcome your special
faults, to put away
every darling sin.

A Firm Reliance Upon Christ, Will

Bring Peace And Joy To The Soul

If we would permit our minds to dwell more upon Christ and the heavenly world. We should find a powerful stimulus and support in our warfare against sin. By faith we may look upon the crowns laid up for those who shall overcome; we may listen to the exultant song of the redeemed: "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power;" "for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood." Pride and love of the world will lose their power as we contemplate the infinite love of Christ, and the glories of that better land so soon to be our home.

An unyielding trust,
a firm reliance
upon Christ, will
bring peace and
joy to the soul.
But let none imagine
that without earnest
effort on their
part they can retain
the assurance of
God's love. When
the mind has been
long permitted to
dwell only on earthly
things, it is a
difficult matter
to change the habits
of thought. That
which the eye sees
and the ear hears,
too often attracts
the attention and
absorbs the interest.
But if we would
enter the city of
God, and look upon
Jesus in his glory,
we must become accustomed
to beholding him
with the eye of
faith here. The
words and character
of Christ should
be often the subject
of our thoughts
and our conversation;
and each day some
time should be especially
devoted to prayerful
meditation upon
these sacred themes.

Let none deceive
themselves with
the belief that
God will accept
and bless them while
they are trampling
upon one of his
requirements. The
willful commission
of a known sin silences
the witnessing voice
of the Spirit, and
separates the soul
from God. Jesus
cannot abide in
the heart that disregards
the divine law.
God will honor those
only who honor him.

No Man Can Serve Two Masters

"To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are." If we indulge anger, lust, covetousness, hatred, selfishness, or any other sin, we become servants of sin. "No man can serve two masters." If we serve sin, we cannot serve Christ. The Christian will feel the promptings of sin; but he will keep up a constant warfare against it. Here is where Christ's help is needed. Human weakness becomes united to divine strength, and faith exclaims, "Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

The Christian life
must be a life of
constant progression.
Peter sets before
us the successive
steps, in these
words: "Giving all
diligence, add to
your faith virtue;
and to virtue, knowledge;
and to knowledge,
temperance; and
to temperance, patience;
and to patience,
godliness; and to
godliness, brotherly
kindness; and to
brotherly kindness,
charity. For if
these things be
in you, and abound,
they make you that
ye shall neither
be barren nor unfruitful
in the knowledge
of our Lord Jesus."
"Wherefore the rather,
brethren, give diligence
to make your calling
and election sure;
for if ye do these
things, ye shall
never fall; for
so an entrance shall
be ministered unto
you abundantly into
the everlasting
kingdom of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus
Christ."

Here is a course
by which we may
be assured that
we shall never fall.
Those who are thus
working upon the
plan of addition
in obtaining the
Christian graces,
have the assurance
that God will work
upon the plan of
multiplication in
granting them the
gifts of his Spirit.
Says Peter, "Grace
and peace be multiplied
unto you through
the knowledge of
God and of Jesus
our Lord."

Our Saviour claims
all there is of
us; he asks our
first and holiest
thoughts, our purest
and most intense
affection. His love
is infinitely more
tender and self
denying than a mother's
love. The price
paid for our ransom
testifies to his
estimation of the
value of the human
soul. Then what
ingratitude do we
manifest when we
withhold from him
our affections and
our service. Is
it too much to give
ourselves, our time
and talents, to
Him who has sacrificed
all for us? Can
we choose the friendship
of the world before
the immortal honors
which Christ proffers,--"to
sit with me in my
throne, even as
I also overcame,
and am set down
with my Father on
his throne"?

Paul Suffered For The Truth's Sake

The apostle Paul was highly honored of God; in holy vision he looked upon scenes whose glories he was not permitted to reveal. Yet this did not lead him to boastfulness or self confidence. He realized the importance of constant watchfulness and self denial. "I keep my body under," he says, "and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."

Paul suffered for
the truth's sake;
and yet we hear
no complaint from
his lips. As he
reviews his life
of toil and care
and sacrifice, he
says, "I reckon
that the sufferings
of this present
time are not worthy
to be compared with
the glory which
shall be revealed
in us." The shout
of victory from
God's faithful servant
comes down the line
to our time: "Who
shall separate us
from the love of
Christ? Shall tribulation,
or distress, or
persecution, or
famine, or nakedness,
or peril, or sword?
. . . Nay, in all
these things we
are more than conquerors
through Him that
loved us. For I
am persuaded that
neither death, nor
life, nor angels,
nor principalities,
nor powers, nor
things present,
nor things to come,
nor height, nor
depth, nor any other
creature, shall
be able to separate
us from the love
of God which is
in Christ Jesus
our Lord."

Though Paul was
at last confined
in a Roman prison,
shut away from the
light and air of
heaven, cut off
from his active
labors in the gospel
field, and momentarily
expecting to be
condemned to death,
he did not yield
to doubt or despondency.
From that gloomy
dungeon came his
dying testimony,
full of a sublime
faith and courage
that has inspired
the hearts of saints
and martyrs in all
succeeding ages:
"I am now ready
to be offered, and
the time of my departure
is at hand. I have
fought a good fight,
I have finished
my course, I have
kept the faith.
Henceforth there
is laid up for me
a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord,
the righteous Judge,
shall give me at
that day; and not
to me only, but
unto all them also
that love his appearing."

The glorious reward
that awaits this
hero of faith,--a
crown of righteousness,
and eternal life
in the presence
of God,--may be
won by each of us.
Jesus and holy angels
are waiting to give
us the help we need.
Every prayer sent
up in faith from
an honest heart
will be heard, and
the petitioner will
have his request
when he needs the
blessing most. Sometimes
we ask for things
that are not for
our own good or
the glory of God.
When this is so,
our wise and good
Father hears our
prayers, but gives
us nothing hurtful.
He will guide our
feet. By divine
grace, all who will
may climb the shining
steps from earth
to Heaven, and at
last, "with songs
and everlasting
joy," enter through
the gates into the
city of God.